Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement plans to set up a ‘Sustainability Promotion Office’ in April 2021 as part of the company’s efforts towards carbon neutrality by 2050. It follows the company’s medium and long-term sustainability targets that were set in December 2020.

Ukraine: Ukrcement, the Ukrainian cement association, has lobbied for cement to be excluded from a free trade agreement being arranged between Ukraine and Turkey. Pavel Kachur, the head of Ukrcement, said that he had informed the Ministry of Economy and the trade representative of Ukraine about the association’s view, according to Interfax-Ukraine. He said that the local cement sector was able to fully provide consumers with cement. He also noted the significantly higher cement production capacity in Turkey compared to Ukraine. In mid-2020 the Interdepartmental Commission for International Trade explored a complaint by local cement producers including Buzzi-Unicem subsidiary Dyckerhoff, HeidelbergCement subsidiary Kryvyi Rih Cement and CRH subsidiary Podilsky Cement into imports of cement from Turkey.

Kenya: Bamburi Cement, Savannah Cement, Ndovu Cement and Rai Cement have written to the National Treasury opposing a proposal by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) to raise tariffs on clinker imports to 25% from 10% at present or to implement at outright ban on imports. The cement producers say that increasing the tariffs would lead to unfair competition and destroy investments, according to the Kenyan Star newspaper. However, the KAA argues that the move will promote the manufacturing sector and create jobs.

Seddiq Hassani, the managing director of Bamburi Cement, said in a letter from the cement producers to the government, that they opposed the review at the current time but that they conceded that it was the right direction for the industry in the longer term to safeguard local manufacturing. He added that the four companies should be given a window of between four and five years to set up their own integrated plants to provide a predictable policy framework for investors.

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement has announced plans to establish a super battery plant in Kaohsiung. The plant will produce high-charge-discharge nickel ternary batteries developed by the company’s subsidiaries TCC Green Energy and battery specialist E-Moli. The maximum total investment in the facility will be US$350m. The plant will be the first of its kind in Taiwan and will have a capacity of 1.8GW/yr in battery power.

Chair Nelson Chang said, "Everyone has only one nationality, Earth."